TikTok is a popular video-sharing site that became popular
after users created and uploaded videos using the app. Some users have become
celebrities thanks to the viral videos they posted on the app. Famous users on
the site include Khaby Lame, a 22-year-old former factory worker from Italy,
who has over 150 million followers - nearly 60 million more than Donald Trump.
Another popular user is 18-year-old dancer Charli D'Amelio, whose videos have
received over 11 billion likes. The site makes it easy to create videos,
offering giant libraries of free music and editing tools, along with augmented
reality filters. But TikTok's central "For You" feed, which shows the
latest videos in the most recent activity of a user, lacks context, and
oftentimes, is filled with videos that don't have
Unlike Facebook and Twitter, TikTok's algorithm creates a
profile of users based on their viewing history. This means that the site is
always showing a new video, and users won't get bored easily, as long as they
flick the app to the next video. The short video lengths on the site make them
easy to watch. There are few other sites on the internet that offer this kind
of constant surprise delight. And if you ever get bored of a particular video,
you can simply flick to another one - a feature that's hard to find anywhere
else.
The popularity of TikTok's short video feature has spurred a
rise in social media content. It's also created opportunities for creators to
compete with established influencers' polished productions. In some cases,
creators can riff off of another user's videos, react to their comments, or
even write commentary in the style of a TV news report.
TikTok has become a lucrative career path for many young
people who post videos on the platform. Many students are skipping class to
record TikTok videos. In Nepal, Buddhist shrines have posted "No
TikTok" signs to discourage students from recording videos on the app.
Cornell University student John Christopher Dombrowski, a social media influencer
with 2.8 million followers, has paid for his college tuition with ad deals from
Lancome and Adidas. The app is also being credited with supercharging book
sales. Sydney Blanchard, Kendra Keeter-Gray, and Colleen Hoover are among the
top TikTok creators.
The platform has been growing in popularity among young
users, while older users may not have even heard of it. TikTok creators chose
users under the age of 18 as their target audience and studied the habits and
preferences of the younger generation. As a result, TikTok's ad revenue tripled
to $12 billion in 2017 and is predicted to surpass YouTube in value by 2025.
Other famous TikTok creators include Burak Ozdemir, a
Turkish chef who gained popularity for his elaborate, unmoving recipes. Another
top star, Avani Gregg, is a rising star in the TikTok elite. The 24-year-old
was a member of the collective Hype House, a group of Los Angeles-based
up-and-coming creators. She even has her own TV show that streams through
Facebook Messenger.
